In 1949, General Motors gave us the two-door hardtop. Six years later, it rolled out the four-door hardtop and the hardtop wagon. Indeed, GM was first with the two-door Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari, but the me-too brigade came out with four-door hardtop wagons with a bit more utility. Read the full article on Hagerty.com:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/most-interesting-hardtop-wagons-postwar-era/
Goes great with my morning coffee! The first thing I read before reality drop kicks me. Ahh the dreams and memories.
Nothing like a hard top wagon. ♥️♥️
Great looking cars in the article. Hardtop models didn't always age well as far as sealing up well and keeping wind noise down vs. the same model with door pillars. But as a new car the look is hard to beat.
In the salt belt you had another issue once the rust got into your rockers and the center stub post (on the 4 door models) became a floppy thing of misaligned doors and body shake. 4-door hardtops didn't rebuild well from getting t-boned either, but then not a lot of cars are ever right after getting t-boned anyways.
Honorable mention: The Studebaker wagons with the roll back top that would turn the cargo area in a sort-of pickup.
Around 1968, I remember when Ford came out with the dual tailgate. Open as a door or lay down. Pretty cool when riding in the back while inhaling exhaust fumes.
My father had a 1956 Rambler deluxe Cross County wagon. White over pink and black. Likely where my fandom of the AMC began. LOL
Wagons have a special place in my heart. My parents never owned one, but everyone else in my neighborhood did, and I road in all of the at one time or another. These are fantastic representatives. Love them all.
I had an Oldsmobile "Vista Cruiser" back in those days. It had a distinctive clear plastic window on both sides of the roof line. Great looking car